Kvitova beats Schiavone, advances to second round

Melbourne: Former Wimbledon champion Petra Kvitova has advanced to the second round of the Australian Open with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Italy's Francesca Schiavone.

Kvitova has struggled at the start of her 2013 season, losing 6-1, 6-1 to Dominika Cibulkova in the first round last week at the Sydney International and losing in the second round the week before in Brisbane.

Former Wimbledon champion Kvitova has advanced to the second round with a 6-4, 2-6, 6-2 victory over Schiavone.

But she regrouped after losing the second set to Schiavone, the 2010 French Open champion, breaking the Italian twice to capture the decider. Kvitova, the 2011 Wimbledon winner, reached the semifinals at Melbourne Park last year, losing to Maria Sharapova.